Roleplaying and Storytelling

Help with Creating a Guild/Clan

OK, here's the deal. For all of you Wheel of Time fans, skip this first paragraph.

Male channelers/wizards are feared in the world on TPE. The White Tower which is made up of female witches that support the good side, have a clan called the Red Ajah which are devoted to taking away the power of magic from male channelers. Now, the other with problem with male channelers, no one knows how to control their spells. In this Age in the book, male channelers are few and rare, and most go insane before they can really learn to control the magic.

My goal here is to create a guild/secret society where I will gather other male channelers and we will all teach each other things, learning as much as we can and passing on the information to newcomers.

How can I keep the society secret enough that the White Tower's agents will not find out? Should we go to a remote village and study there, or should we meet in some kind of inn?

Just shoot out some ideas for me so I can create the best roleplay opportunity for peoples.

This group would have to meet secretly in a very remote area such as the Black Hills, Hills of Kintara or even Haddon Mirk.

Other than their meetings, that would likely be a date set in advance, this group would never likely meet or group together so as to avoid notice. Male channelers are feared so much that any man acting strange could be suspect, hence why it is mentioned in the books that the Red Ajah had taken custody and tried to shield/gentle men who could not even channel (ie. Elyas).

My suggestion would be to have their group meet secretly in isolated places like I mentioned but otherwise have no contact with each other, very similar to the meetings of lower Darkfriend circles.

As a side note: I once RP'd on a MUD with a group of people following a false Dragon who could channel. We kept every meeting secret until he proclaimed himself and we began our attacks. Was some very fun RP (we even RP'd with mobs at one point) but the most fun was had when we were caught between the Children of the Light and the Red Ajah and ended with us all dead. Even though my character died, I loved the RP we had and would do it again anytime.

You should probably discuss this role-play option with the administrators of your mud given what you surreptitiously propose. They may with to impose certain restrictions on this little role-play angle. For example, a group of more than 4-5 men with interesting "quirks" (Taint effects) might realistically draw attention indepdent of how you and yours try to role-play it. Conversely, some WoT mu*s allow male channelers to blow up portions of the White Tower, CotL to confront Warder-trainee's on the Tower Yard, and Drow Elves to be Wolfkin.

No matter how feasibly you try to role-play it, you should take into consideration how your Admin's wish their mud represented - considering they provide you a home.

Queen Morgase is newly risen to the throne appreantly, for it starts before the Aiel War. Laman has cut down the sapling, and the Aiel are planning to cross the Dragonwall. With all this happening, so of the nations are worried about what will happen to them.

My group hasn't started forming yet, but us male channelers will prevail into becoming a guild. How can we write and give a treaty to Andor, Shienar, and various nations that will have them support us, not kill us, and possibly shield us from the White Tower?

Morgase was Tower-trained (to a point, like all Daughter Heirs) and she has Elaida - a Red! - as an advisor, if your mud is following the books fairly accurately. There's absolutely no way Andor would agree to a treaty with male channelers, not even an uber-secret and profitable treaty.

The only way you are going to get a treaty with Andor - or any Westlands nation - is if they don't know the true nature of your organization. You need a cover, even with the nations you deal with as friends.

Unlike the Kin (who's cover didn't work in any case), you can't claim to be healers and whatnot. Healers in the series always seem to be women, except in the case of Damer Flinn and probably some soldiers/military doctors in each military company.

You could be miners, maybe. That gives you an excuse to apply for land treaties and meet way out in the boonies and such. That might be the best thing if you intend to run your organization like a school. Andor seems to favor miners.

If you have an Illuminator in your group, you could set up a new Illuminator guild and take on "apprentices." That would allow you a lot of secrecy, and would help explain certain types of...unfortunate accidents. You'd probably be giving up a little diplomatic influence, since I doubt the nations will value entertainment over mining operations. On the other hand, as an Illuminator you'd have more excuse to travel and whatnot.

Finally, if you intend to be militaristic in nature, you just about have to pose as either mercenaries or a company of Whitecloaks. Being a mercenary helps you keep your group together and would be fairly easy to set up. Being a Whitecloak helps you find new channelers and get rid of overly suspicious commoners.

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The White Tower, as always, will play an important part in what path you choose. Who is Amyrlin at this time in your mud? Is she a part of the search for the Dragon Reborn? In case you are ever found out, you might want to have a plan B ready based on that angle. The Amyrlin may not want to risk gentling the DR, who could be nearly any strong channeler in your group.